Discussion: Would you consider buying a painted repro?

Just trying to stimulate a little discussion.
I purchased a Lost Worlds hand painted reproduction A2 off EBay.The jacket is painted with the logo of a B-17 named "Carolina Moon" Beautiful art work, but I can't really see myself ever wearing the jacket unless I'm at a air show, which I consistently go to every 5 years or so ( what!). So what about it ... anyone out there think this was a good idea. Ok if you do,.....you may want to reconsider your opinion when you see the logo. While it's typical of WWII nose art , it would probably get me branded as a male chauvinist by today's standards. Might even get me doused with some paint as well . Now you're asking yourself "Why did he buy the danm thing? My answer; It just looked cool.

I have several jackets with art. Murder Inc. gets a workout from time to time.. I was hoping for an offensive artwork on my ELC Air Comfort but it took a while. Simon Williams might get the task one day..
Even an AAF decal is a risky choice on an A-2.. Art takes it to the next level.

Think it's not a big problem in US... here in France (and I live near Paris, where you could say... in north africa territory ) I wear my jackets with patches and paints, "Memphis Belle" stuff is ok but my Brill have VF-84 patches and my bike helmet is a GPA aircrat customised.... sometimes I'm happy that my bike goes faster than a scooter ^^ Nothing or no one should dictate how to dress!

Nah. Looks cheesy to me, at least big back art does, no matter how well-executed. I did paint a pair of AAF wings on my old ELC, and painted patches I have no problem with. If it was cheap I’d be trying to work out how to get it off.

It’s a very personal thing to be honest
I personally wouldn’t and I base this on the fact I haven’t earned it
All said and done though, as Tenfifteen says, nobody should say what you can and can’t wear

I'm with blackrat2 in that... I wasn't there, I didn't earn it, I have no connection to the war, crew and group. I originally wanted to patch and paint but realized it would be more of a "costume" that may or may not attract attention and I'm somewhat an introvert and private guy so if I can't talk the talk then I don't need to wear a patched/paintd/named crew item. I feel I honor and give respect enough to those by wearing an A-2 and if someone recognizes and asks me about my new repro then there may be a nice conversation to be had otherwise I quietly wear my understated A-2 as my own esoteric way of commemorating and honoring the men I admire of the AAC, USAAF and RAF. Having said all that I do keep a few patches and other items like escape compass, ww2 era lighter, 1943 steel penny and an acme ditch whistle in my pockets... you know, for good luck!

Of course as Edward says, there is no way we can earn the right to wear a patched up/painted up WWII era jacket. So we have two main reasons for doing so. Firstly, as a tribute to those people who saved the world from Fascist tyranny, or secondly, as B-Man2 says, 'it looks cool'. With the exception of those of us that are steeped in the lore of WWII, I think the majority of people today would go with looks cool. Personally I love patched up/painted up jackets for both reasons and would be proud to wear one any time. The main concern now is the content. Even when taken in context, a lot of the period jacket art would be considered politically incorrect or worse today, and for good reason. Arguably the nineteen forties world was a more macho place than it is today, and who knows perhaps it needed to be that way. Many of us who when looking at the work of people like Hugault and Du Caju cannot help but get caught up in the romance and the intrigue of it all. Love your jacket B-Man2.

What anyone else does with their repro jacket, whether they buy it like it or do it themselves, is totally their call, regardless of anyones opinion; who am I to tell someone else what they should do or not do to a jacket or anything else for that matter (within the law of course ). I own 2 jackets with dinner plate size bloodchits on the back, and wear them pretty much anywhere in a casual setting. No one bats an eyelid, and so far only a few people have asked what they're about to which I advise a little history on the subject in question.

I wouldn't have a problem with a painted jacket but as already has been said its a personal thing. As a Christian I wouldn't choose that sort of artwork as on B-man2's jacket, but neither am I offended by it. Wear it good health.

BTW don't we get branded as male chauvinists or something of the like whether we wear anything like that or not? So in that light does it really matter?

Just trying to stimulate a little discussion.
I purchased a Lost Worlds hand painted reproduction A2 off EBay.The jacket is painted with the logo of a B-17 named "Carolina Moon" Beautiful art work, but I can't really see myself ever wearing the jacket unless I'm at a air show, which I consistently go to every 5 years or so ( what!). So what about it ... anyone out there think this was a good idea. Ok if you do,.....you may want to reconsider your opinion when you see the logo. While it's typical of WWII nose art , it would probably get me branded as a male chauvinist by today's standards. Might even get me doused with some paint as well . Now you're asking yourself "Why did he buy the danm thing? My answer; It just looked cool.

Click to expand...

In my youth, I bought a repro. That jacket had patches everywhere and I painted a girl on a bomber on the
back with little torpedos . I wore it everywhere and not once gave it a second thought about what others would say.
Today most of my leather jackets have no patches except one has a small leather name tag.
I do this because that’s the way I feel about it now.
I still have one with all the patches and painted stuff. I will wear it when riding my bike.
I’m not really concerned about what others think. But I won’t wear it in places that I feel would be
disrespectful either.
You need to define what is more important to you.
What you like and wearing it or what others think.

we also have to realize that even back in the 40's post war most men didn't wear painted jackets in public either out of fear of offending the good christian woman or family. during war and stationed on base you were in a very macho man's world and it was all about camaraderie and keeping up positive morale and being a part of a family of soldiers. Boys will be boys... Once home if the jacket made it back with them into the closet it went... then they ate mom's apple pie and the wife's home cooking and got to where it wouldn't fit anyway. I read one aircrew members account in that same regard in that he felt it was a dirty jacket with no place to be worn.. it was a soldiers uniform and he was no longer a soldier. you dressed nice every day and a beat up leather jacket had no place in public during that era and he went on to say he would have been embarrassed to show up at the grocery store wearing the jacket with the nudie pinup girl on the back for fear of causing a stir by embarrassment. So even then most of these guys didn't wear painted jackets after going home either. It was an esoteric guy's club kind of thing best kept in the barracks or stowed away. Of course the Petty Girl and the Varga Girl were published in True magazine and Esquire magazine among others and collected by men and women alike but even the post office authorities wanted to revoke mailing privileges charging that Esquire had published matter of an obscene, lewd, and lascivious character. Most pinups were fully clothed! Esquire mounted a full-scale legal challenge to Post Office censorship (which only lead to record breaking sales of the magazine of course! and had hired high-priced lawyers and well-known witnesses to oppose the postmaster general's actions. So even the pinups in the magazines were controversial in some respect.
Its a fine line to walk when depicting women in art. Showing women in a position of strength and control vs. an object of desire is where the offending opinions lie. So wearing a jacket with a pinup (nude or not) many not cause any issues.., there could be that one person standing behind you in a supermarket that takes offense and causes issue. while a lot has changed in 70 years we can also see that not much has really changed from the 1940s to today. I live in the Bible Belt of the south and in today's temperament and volatile post Harvey Weinstien world even wearing a pinup on a WW2 type jacket can attract the wrong kind of attention and ruin your day. Sad. I think its all very harmless but everyone has an opinion and very few understand the history and reverence behind a painted A-2. I've had to explain my framed 1940s pinup girl collection to dates I've brought home... its a long winded and a tad stressful moment of time to defuse them and get them to understand why I have them and from what era they are from and what they were and meant. its not easy educating todays woman on antique paintings of girls and I certainly don't want to have to do that in the middle of Walmart with a stranger with three kids in tow. so, its a blank plain jain A-2 for me just so I don't have to explain myself.

I wear my painted A2 at almost ever occasion - even for work - also the painted/stenciled N1`s

the only comments I ever got is what a cool and nice looking jacket - nobody ever felt offended (even not good Christian women) and also nobody ever thought I was sitting in one of the WW2 airplanes - so I think for most people which have at least a glimpse of history (WW2 ended 1945) is clear I did not "earn" the right to wear a noseart-painted WW2 themed pilots-jacket

additional to that the markings I have on the jacket are not "historically" correct but rathermore phantasy in terms of the noseart

bottom line: I never got any negative comment and I will continue wear painted jackets - the ELC B3 I just ordered will also get painted

finally gentlemen painted jackets are part of our history - aren`t they?

off course I would not wear any ranks on my jacket - this is actually something I didn`t earn